Saab's aviation roots go back almost 70 years to 1937, when Svenska
Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company Limited) was founded
in the town of Trollhättan, 45 miles/70 km north of Gothenburg,
where Saab cars are still built today on the site of the original
aircraft factory.

The company supplied military aircraft to the Swedish Air Force and
began diversifying into civil aviation in 1944 and the automotive
business in 1947, when its first car, the Saab 92, was unveiled
(Saab 91 was a light aircraft used for pilot training). The 92's
streamlined, teardrop-shaped bodywork was clearly the work of
aircraft engineers and radical for a small production car of the
time, as was the use of wind tunnel testing during its design.

The adoption of front-wheel drive for sure-footed handling,
excellent roadholding and efficient space utilization was also
unconventional for the time - more than a decade before the layout
was to become popular in the rest of the auto industry.

Another innovative design from Saab's newly-created car division was
the Sonett 1, a lightweight sports car for competition use, unveiled
exactly 50 years ago this year. Its 'monocoque' chassis was made
from aviation-specification aluminum panels, instead of the usual
arrangement of steel beams and tubes. Although common in aircraft
construction, Saab was using this design six years before it was
introduced to Grand Prix racing.

Today, more than 4 million cars and 4,000 aircraft later, Saab is
one name and two companies. The car business, Saab Automobile AB, is
now wholly owned by General Motors, the world's largest auto maker,
and the Saab Group is a global leader in the application of advanced
technologies, specializing in aerospace and defense systems.

Over the years, Saab cars have continued to incorporate
aircraft-inspired design features, from wrap-around windshields and
cockpit-like ergonomics to green instrument illumination and
need-to-know information displays.

And the innovative spirit of those early aircraft engineers,
including their pioneering attention to safety, continues to be
reflected in Saab's unconventional approach to car design.

Saab is a division of General Motors Corp. Saab Automobile USA is
the importer and distributor of Saab 9-2X, 9-3, 9-5 cars and the
9-7X SUV for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden.